This past Sunday we continued our series "Fashion Police?" This entire series we are looking at what we are called to wear internally as followers of Christ." You can listen to the podcast or download it at http://wyandottefamily.libsyn.com/
You can also download an Amazon App for only $1.99 and have easy access to all of the podcasts right on your Android Smartphone or tablet. http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Wyandotte-Family-Church/dp/B00OZZXW56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418834318&sr=8-1&keywords=Wyandotte+Family+Church
For part 3 we talked about forgiveness. Since this is such a deep, personal and challenging area I want to blog various thoughts and scripture verses throughout the week. I pray that challenge, encourage and push you to take the next step of forgiving. You can't move forward, unless you let go of the past.
Today's blog I want to talk about a spiritual principle that Jesus commanded us to do. It can be one of the hardest spiritual principles we assimilate into our lives yet can be the most powerful and freeing.
Matthew 5:43-45--“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[a] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![b] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven
There are people who really hurt us and wound us deeply. We have talked in the past few blogs about surrender the hurt and justice into the hands of God. But now Jesus is asking me to pray for those who have hurt me????
I was talking to a wise counselor one time who told me about someone they were hurt by. They told God, I can't pray for that person because I don't want to and my prayer would be insincere. The counselor had a profound revelation from God that day. God spoke to their heart, "Since when is obedience a matter of feelings." Simply obey what I have asked you to do. That counselor began to pray for that person and God began to give wisdom and insight into the situation and changed their heart toward the other person.
There is a powerful spiritual dynamic that happens when we pray for those who have hurt us. God begins to do a deep work in our hearts and we find greater joy and strength in Him.
Even if you don't want to pray. Even if you feel like you don't mean the prayers at all. Obey Jesus Christ anyway. Begin to pray for the next 7 days that God would bless the other person. That God would draw them closer to Himself. That God would speak to them. That they would hear God's voice and sense His love. Let's take a growth step and obey.
I am what some call an immature follower of Christ. I have recently begun my spiritual journey and it has been an amazing feeling. I was presented an opportunity to forgive someone who hurt me deeply. My pain was caused by merely words that this man directed towards my deerest loved ones. I havent known this man for very along compared to my other friendships i have but we have shared very intimate things about each others familys...ie...wives, kids,moms,dads etc....This man was attacking my family and I with the secrets he knew from our sharing together. I struggled with this for days. I then began to understand that he has alot of internal pain festering that caused him to attack me. See, this has been the way I have delt with pain in the past. I have attacked others with painful words because of the pain I was holding onto. In the past I would have never prayed or forgave someone who had hurt me like this man did. But I began to pray for him everyday. I noticed that it became easier for me to forgive him with each and every prayer. I admit it is still uncomfortable at times to sit and speak with him but it is getting better. Just the other day this man gave me a hug and apoligized, eyes full of tears. I felt true sincerity from him. It really felt special.
ReplyDelete